In a bold new step for women’s football and creative storytelling, Manchester United and England star Ella Toone has teamed up with long-time collaborator James Marshall to launch Amicizia Studios – a creative agency with purpose at its heart and a distinctly un-football name.
Built on friendship, trust and a deep understanding of the modern game, Amicizia (Italian for “friendship”) is aiming to shift the narrative in women’s football and bring new energy into how players and brands collaborate.
“Over the past couple of years I’ve been quite obsessed with US sports and they’re probably 10 years ahead of us, but I’ve always wanted to build an agency,” said co-founder James Marshall. “I think the women’s football space is the right opportunity now and the right time to do that.”
Having worked behind the scenes with Toone on content, commercial and brand activity over recent years, Marshall saw a gap in the market – and an opportunity to make a real difference.
“Over 50% of the league don’t get sponsorships and we want to build that number up. Obviously it’s got to be a business that generates revenue, every business does, but we also want to give back.”
Not Just Another Agency Name
Amicizia’s brand identity is unlike anything else in the sports marketing space. The name, Italian for friendship, was picked deliberately to cut through the corporate noise.
“I loved the word and what it translated to. I love the shape of the cornicello (the Italian horn shaped like a chilli that’s become our logo), and I thought it would be great for a brand in the future,” explained Marshall.
The studio has consciously stepped away from clichéd industry language and visuals. Instead, it reflects the founders’ Northern roots, personality and collaborative energy.
“We didn’t want to have the buzzwords from the industry, it’s just ourselves and the way we talk in the brand pack and online – that’s just us. We’re just normal down to earth people from Manchester. We want to work hard and graft, but also have a bit of a laugh along the way.”
A New Kind of Player-Agency Relationship
While Toone remains focused on her playing career, her role in the business is far more than just figurehead. From content concepts to campaign ideas, her fingerprints are already on the Amicizia approach.
“Day to day I will be running the business, but me and Ella probably chat about 5-10 times a day,” said Marshall. “I’m very conscious that she is an elite footballer and that always takes precedent… But watch this space. You might see Ella starting a new podcast or video series. You might see her maybe interviewing people in a hard-hitting documentary and being an exec producer.”
There’s a longer-term strategy at play too. Beyond commercial partnerships, Amicizia is designed to open new doors for Toone – and the players they work with.
“It’s all about helping her and create different revenue streams for when she is finished in her career, but also giving her an interest and a hobby. She loves creating content and production, so hopefully you’ll see documentaries, different video content series and podcasts in the future.”
Closing the Gap in Women’s Football
The Lionesses’ EURO triumph and the ongoing growth of the Women’s Super League have opened the door for a more robust commercial ecosystem. But, according to Marshall, there’s still a lot of work to be done.
“We want to help brands, we want to make sure there’s enough time to build different brands. We feel like we know a lot of the players in the game and we understand players’ personalities more than anyone.”
Amicizia isn’t just chasing brands for the sake of it either – the goal is impact.
“A perfect campaign would be one that makes an impact. It might not even be with a brand. It could be with an organisation, but it could help people or save lives. That’s one of our key philosophies – making content or being a part of content that changes lives, helps save people or raises awareness and has a purpose.”
What’s Next for Amicizia?
The ambition is big, even if the team is small. Alongside Toone, Marshall has pulled together a trusted inner circle – including Ella’s football agent, content collaborators and a growing creative network.
In the next 12 months, the team hopes to make its mark through a series of meaningful campaigns, and take Ella’s brand across the Atlantic.
“The goal is to work with really good people who understand it, really good brands and really good players, agents and organisations who want to work with us because of our expertise.
I would love to take Ella to America next year for the Men’s World Cup and start building her brand there because I think she would resonate brilliantly with the US audience.”
And there may even be some surprises along the way.
“We’ve got the cornicello logo, which is the little chilly, so watch this space, who knows, we could be partnering with a brand or an organisation in the future.”
The agency may be named after friendship, but Amicizia Studios is grounded in a clear vision: elevating women’s football through creativity, purpose and personality. And if Marshall and Toone have their way, they’ll be reshaping how the sport is marketed – one campaign at a time.
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